Written while listening to "You Don't Know Me" by Elizabeth Gillies on loop. It's officially become my image song for Starscream. Though, it doesn't have much to do with this fic. I just thought I'd share. "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" by Pink may have snuck in as well. INSPIRATION.

Anyway, the following scenario is loosely inspired by "Rock Bottom" from Prime, and that Megatron once being a miner will never fail to be impressive.

"Just speaking out loud, Starscream," Skyfire said, shifting his elbow slightly to get more comfortable under the weight. The shuttle exhaled out his vents heavily, the air hot on Starscream's back. Skyfire grunted. "Not like I can do much else at the moment."

"Point," Starscream admitted, albeit reluctantly. Who did he have to impress down here? The Seeker pulled his knees in closer to himself and leaned back, his wings thumping against the much larger Autobot's thighs.

Megatron's latest plan—drilling again—had hit a snag when instead of finding life-giving energy crystals, the drill bust into an open cave system. Unsupported, the entire mechanism fell straight through and smashed into the bottom. Starscream huffed, happy for once he wasn't in charge of scouting the drill site. And of course, the Autobots arrived at the worst possible time, and fighting ensued in the caves.

He wasn't quite sure how, but one way or another Starscream was thrown into a deep crevice and hit rock bottom. Something had been knocked loose inside his thrusters, reducing them to stylish heels alone and he was stuck. To ice his cake, Starscream looked up to the pit opening, and saw a loose missile far above his head flying full force upward toward the massive rock formations clinging to the cave roof. Starscream cringed and covered his head with his hands, waiting for the rain of rubble.

When he onlined his optics, he saw Skyfire.

The massive idiot was bent over him, kneeling of all things, acting as a protective shield. Starscream still had room to stand up, and turn around, but he was still trapped under the Shuttle's care. Rocks surrounded them, and Skyfire's gears and pistons whined under the crushing weight. Save for the glow of their optics, it was pitch black.

They were buried.

"How'd you get here!? " Starscream had screamed at him, of course. It was all he ever seemed to do with the Shuttle any more. "And I didn't need your help!"

"And I gave it anyway." A rock shook loose when Skyfire moved an inch. He stopped, a frustrated scowl on his face. "And to answer the first part: sliding and thrusters."

The answer was sensible, though still infuriating. After confirming both of their comms were offline, Starscream sighed and sat down. All they could do now was wait for some Autobot to climb down here looking for Skyfire.

Starscream already knew no one would come looking for him.

"Should I even bother to ask why you saved me?" Starscream muttered as he shifted a ped on the solid rock as he hunched near the solid warmth of Skyfire.

"I'm not even going to bother answering that," the shuttle said. Starscream ignored the sounds of heavy air cycling, desperately trying to cool the shuttle's straining systems. "You're not usually one for stupid questions, Starscream."

"Oh, don't go saying it's because you care," Starscream snorted. "If you cared, you wouldn't have defected to the Autobots, Traitor."

"There's a big difference between not supporting your universal domination cause, and not caring about you personally, Starscream," Skyfire said, an odd smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He laughed, letting loose a dusting of dirt. "I could support you fine when you were just an aft, but I had to draw the line when you started shooting at me."

"My point," Skyfire smiled a bit. "You're cute when you're a jerk, but giving you firepower to back up the attitude was a mistake. We were all much safer when all you had to mess with were chemicals in the lab."

"Do you really think you get to make jokes right now?" Starscream snorted, he shoved a ped forward, and flicked his wing's into Skyfire's plating. "This situation doesn't seem all that funny."

"Well, you weren't crushed by boulders," Skyfire said. He grit his teeth and took a moment to focus on holding his position. His optics shut off for two seconds before onlining. Starscream crushed an odd feeling that was nipping at his spark. "So I consider this a success all around. Why not be in a good mood?"

"You're an idiot." Starscream cradled his head in his arms. "And I seem to recall you blowing up our lab at least once thanks to those chemicals. I think that did a little more damage than my blaster."

"Yeah, I was in the University Medbay for three cycles from that one. But then again, what good scientist hasn't blown up a lab?" Skyfire laughed again, but had to stop when the dust and rock shook loose. Starscream pulled closer to Skyfire when it started to pool at the edges of Skyfire's make-shift shelter. The shuttle continued as if their doom hadn't inched closer. "I mean, look at Wheeljack. He blows up his lab once a week."

"And yet you still chose to side with the Autobots."

"Half-a-point," Skyfire said. His smile strained, but it was still fond. "But I'll raise you a Skywarp and call it even."

"That's different," Starscream snorted. "You pick your friends—"

"But not your family," Skyfire rolled his optics. "I know."

Skyfire's optics continued to flicker on and off, and the conversation died from there. The screeching sound of metal scraping against metal grew louder, and Starscream bit his lip. Talking was straining Skyfire's concentration more than he was letting on, and Starscream had no desire to be crushed by rocks and the collapsing shuttle. So they sat together, with nothing to do but listen to the shifting rocks above, and grinding gears.

"Hey, Starscream," Skyfire whispered. "I know that things are never going to be what they were between us."

Starscream nearly shut off his audio sensors. He didn't want to hear this, but he hesitated. Something in that voice, the soft reserve. It cut to the spark.

"But, that doesn't change that I," Skyfire paused. "I really—"

The glowing end of a purple mace smashed through the rock next to Skyfire's head.

"What the frag?" Starscream yelped, as he scrambled further back.

The Seeker clanged into Skyfire's chassis in his attempt to get away from the familiar glowing weapon. Rocks and debris showered down into the free space, shoved out of the way by an unnaturally strong force. Starscream, flush against Skyfire, stared up. Another grunt came from above, followed by a brightly glowing swing, and rock disintegrated from the heat. The hole widened, and a large grey body dropped down with a heavy thud.

Starscream straightened up, hitting his head on Skyfire's neck. He winced as Skyfire grumbled, and asked, "Megatron? How'd you get down here?"

"I used to live underground, fool," Megatron said, an eyebrow lifted. His mace glowed at his side for a moment longer, before he swapped it out for his hand. "You think I can't get around a cave?"

A slide of rocks tumbled down, smacking into Skyfire's helm. The shuttle whined, and his gears wheezed trying to adjust to the shifting weight above him. Skyfire glared at Megatron, grinding his teeth together. "That's all well and good, but since I assume you're here for Starscream, would you hurry and grab him before I can't hold this anymore?"

"And why should I take orders from a traitor?" Megatron asked brushing a bit of dirt from the front of Skyfire's helm. Starscream scoffed as he crawled out from under Skyfire. Megatron grabbed the Seeker by the arm to pull him the rest of the way. "And what makes you think I'm here for him?"

Skyfire smirked, but didn't say anything. The two stared each other down as Starscream pulled his arm back, and stepped into the open space Megatron had cleared. Skyfire was steadier now, save for the slight shaking of his limbs under the changing weight of the now moving rocks above.

Megatron turned away first, snarling.

Starscream opened his mouth, but was cut off when Megatron shoved him roughly toward the wall. The tyrant pointed up, and said in a single clipped voice, "Climb."

The frustrated grunt gave no room for back talk, and Starscream glanced once at Skyfire and his new lonely burden, before grabbing the wall. He pulled up and climbed through the tunnel Megatron had carved out through probably sheer will. Megatron followed, grunting and fingers finding purchase in the rocks with ease. The sounds of Skyfire's strain lessoned each foot higher he climbed until eventually, Starscream pulled himself out of the hole. He hopped up and out of the way as Megatron breached the surface like a titan breaking free.

Starscream looked down below at the tiniest of blue lights glowing in the dark at the bottom. They flickered like a dying light bulb before disappearing into a void of black.

"Let's move. You've wasted enough of my time already, Starscream," Megatron said as he rolled out his shoulder joint. He glared in the direction of the few Decepticons waiting on their leader next to damaged rock formations. He frowned at them and hissed lowly. "Worthless, all of them. Too weak to dig and climb and do real work. I've been too soft on all of you."

"Poor leaders usually are," Starscream quipped out of habit.

"Says the fool saved by a soft hearted shuttle," Megatron said. He rubbed at the space between his eyes, and growled. "Let's go."

Starscream crossed his arms and huffed as the warlord walked away to yell at the other bystanders sitting around as useless as the rocks. Starscream moved forward two feet before a hand covered his mouth and he was yanked back.

"Skyfire," Sideswipe hissed close to Starscream's left audio. He held Starscream in a stranglehold, pointing a blaster at his head. Sideswipe shoved the barrel of it hard enough into the side of Starscream's helm to scratch the paint. "He alive down there? Nod or shake your head."

Starscream spotted the psychotic Sunstreaker glaring from the shadows, the blue optics looking as menacing as Decepticon Red. The vain creature was a nice compliment to the utter rage that had the red twin vibrating as he dented Starscream from his grip.

More relieved than he should have been, Starscream nodded.

"Good," Sideswipe said. He shoved Starscream forward into the dirt and headed for the opening. He transformed one hand into a pile driver and leapt into the hole toward the stranded shuttle.